Cleaning apparatus



T. H. RICHARDSON.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1921, 1,393,641. Patented Oct. 11, 1921 FIG. 1 F la; 3.

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' GLEM'J'ING- aaeaean specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ch 111, 19210 Application can. tune re, iaei. serial no. states,

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that It, 'lrronms H. RIGHARD- sort, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Lexington, in the county of Davidson and iitate of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cleaning Apparatus of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cleaning apparatus and has particular reference to a machine designed for either washing or dry cleaning clothes.

This application is a continuationin so far as disclosed in'application filed by me on till February 6, 1918 Serial Numher 215,628 and application died November 28, 1919, Serial Number 341,193, and embodies improvements in the art thereover.

The primary object of the present invention has reference to clothes cleaning apparatus wherein a tank incloses a perforated reciprocating tumbler with power devices associated with the tumbler for operating the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes cleaning device wherein a reciprocating tumbler arranged with a tank has power devices adjustably connected thereto for-changing the range of reciprocations of the tumbler.

A further object of the invention has reference to the idea of washing or cleaning clothes in boiling gasolene or like material wherein a tumbler containing the clothes is movably mounted within a tank having a false bottom with a steam heated compartment arranged beneath the false bottom to cause the heating and boiling of the gasolene within the tank. With the above general objects in view and others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with accompanying drawings and in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional -view of clothescleaning device constructed in accordance with the present invention showing opposite end, and its point of -with the pipe section 15.

the operating devices torthe tumbler supported on the cover of the tank.

F g. 2 is a top plan view of the same,

Fig, it is a side elevational view, partly in section showing the connection between the power devices and the reciprocating tumbler.

Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view taken on line ilV-IV of Fig. 3 showing the up per end of the tumbler with the swinging closure therefor,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the operative connection between the power disk and the cross head carried by a rod secured to the tumbler,

llig. t; is a detail sectional view taken on line VL-Vll of Fig. 1 showing the block for operating the tumbler cross head adjustably connected to the power disk and F1 'Z is a detail sectional view taken on line ill-Vll of Fig. 5 showing the cross head secured to the perpendicular rod of the tumbler.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated a tank 1 having a bottom wall 2 mounted on supporting feet 3 and a rigid cover part a hinged as at 5 to a swinging section 6 as clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3 to permit the tank 1 to be filled with a cleaning fluid such as gasolene or the like. A concaved false bottom 7 is disposed within the tank adjacent the bottom 2 to provide an intervening steam heating chamber 8.

The steam supplying mechanism for the compartment or chamber 8 embodies a steam line pipe 9 connected to a suitable source of supply, not entering into the invention, having, as illustrated in Fig. l, a short pipe connection 10 with one side of the tank 1 for delivering steam to the chamber 8, the pipe section 10 having a controlling valve 11 therein for regulating the supply of steam to the chamber 8. A branch pipe 12 communicating with the steam line 9 and under control of the hand valve 13 that is positioned adjacent the hand valve 11, has provided therein a check valve 14 adjacent its connection A pipe 16 connected to the tank 1 and in communication with the chamber 8 at a point opposite the pipe section 10 is in communication with the pipe 15, and has a check valve 17 therein to permit steam within the chamber 8 to escape through the pipe 16 by way of the check valve 17, and be prevented from returning to the chamber. ,It being understood that a series of tanks may be operatively connected, the valve 11 may be closed and the steam in the pipe line 9 shunted through the branch 12, controlled by the hand valve 13 and check valve 14 for delivery to the pipe 15 that communicates with an adjacentta'nk, the tank as illustrated tion 20 pivoted axially thereof as shown in Fig. 4 to permit clothes or other articles inserted through the open upper end of the tank 1 being received in the tumbler 18.

The supporting and operating devices for the tumbler embody a pair of perpendicular brackets 21 having horizontal extensions 21' at their upper ends throu h which guide -pins 22 are'slidably mounte the lower ends of the pins slidably extending through accommodating openings in the cover 4 of the tank 1. A cross head 23 havlng an elongated horizontal slot24 in one face thereof is provided with openings adjacent the ends as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 for the reception of the guiding pins 22 that are anchored to the cross head by set screws 25. A plate 26 secured to the upper wall 19 of the tumbler as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 carries a perpendicular rod 27 that extends throu h a central opening in the cross head 23 an the cross head and rod 27 are rigidly connected by the set screw 28 as shown in F1gs.,5 and 7.

Bearings 29 mounted on the cover 4 of the tank 1 support the power shaft 30 havin loose and fixed pulleys 31 and 32 mounte u n the outer end thereof while a power dlsk 33 is keyed to the inner end, at a oint within the brackets 21 and adjacent the rod 27. The disk 33 is provided with a radial slot 34 shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 6, the 01pcposite walls adjacent the outer face of t e isk being slightly beveled as illustrated. The connection between the disk 33 and the cross head 23 embodies a screw 35 having a pin 36 upon one end thereof engaging with a square nut 37. mounted on the screw with the shoulder of the screw pin engaging the nut to cause the beveled walls thereof to engage the beveled walls of the slot 34, a

split washer 38 and a nut 39 being mounted on the threaded end of the screw 25 at the the slot 34. The

opposite side of the disk for clamping the screw and pin 36 in adjusted positions in pin 36 has the outer end thereof freely extending into the slot 24 of the cross head 23.

In the operation of the demos, the shaft 30 bein drlven by the pulley 32 for rotatmg the dis 33, the pin 36 eccentrically connected to the disk and freel working in the .slot 24 of the cross head wi cause a vertlcal reciprocatory movement of the cross head when said disk is rotated with the pin 36 ascribing a circular motion and sliding in the slot 24. The tumbler 18 being connected to the cross head 23 .by the rod and screw 27 and 28, said tumbleris caused to reciprocats with the cross head when the disk 33 is rotated. To vary the length of throw of the tumbler, the screw 35 and pin 36 are adjusted radially of the disk 33, the pin 36 when being positioned adjacent theaxis of the disk 33, moving the tumbler only a short distance, while a greater throw of the tumbler is attained when the pin 36 is moved to a position adjacent the outer end of the slot 34. The normal position of-the tumbler within the tank is also regulated b the ad ."usting screw 28 so that the tum ler may have a reciprocatory movement adjacent the false bottom 7 or in iroximity of the upper wall 4 of the tank. t is not intended t at this invention be limited to the steam ressure em loyed nor the roportions o the several eatures of the evice, it being understood that the walls of the tank 1 including the false bottom 7 maybe of such proportions as to provide for the proper connement of steam under suitable pressure within the chamber 8 while the gasolene or other cleaning fluid within the tank may be heated to the boiling oint. It is also not intended that this appllcation be limited to the character of cleaning fluid employed as gasolene, naptha, or other material may be used with equal efiiciency.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention it is nevertheless to be understood that m nor changes may be made in the form, combination and arrangement of arts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. Clothes cleaning apparatus comprising a tank ada ted; to contain gasolene and a steam cham er adjacent .the lower end thereof, means for s'up(plyin g steam tosaid chamber, a perforate tumbler-reciprocable in said tank and means for reciprocati tumbler, said means being adjusta le to regulate the length'of throw. of the tumbler.

2. Clothes cleaning apparatus comprising a tank havm a steam c amber adjacent the lower end t ereof, means for supplyingsteam to saidchamber, a perforated tumbler said reciprocable in said tank, a rod connected to the upper end of said tumbler and extending through the upper end of the tank, a cross head adjustably secured to said rod above the tank, a power shaft journaled above the tank, a disk secured to said power shaft, and opgrative connections between said disk and r0 3. Clothes cleaning apparatus comprising a tank having a steam chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, means for steam tosaid chamber, a perforated tumbler reciprocable in said tank, a rod connected to the upper end of said tumbler and extending through the upper end of the tank, a cross head adjustab y secured to said rod above the tank, a power shaft journaled above the tank, a disk secured to said power shaft, and operative connections between said disk and rod, said connections including a key adjustably mounted radially of said disk and slidably associated with said cross head.

4. Clothes cleaning apparatus comprising a tank having a steam chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, means for supplying steam to said chamber, a perforated tumbler reciprocable in said tank, a rod connected to the upper end of said tumbler and extending through the upper end of the tank, a cross head adjustably secured to said rod above the tank, a power shaft journaled above the tank, a disk secured to said power shaft, and operative connections between said disk and rod, said connections including a key adjustably connected radially to said disk, there being a slot "in said cross head for freely receiving said key.

5. Clothes cleaning apparatus comprising a tank having a steam chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, means for supplying steam to said chamber, a perforated tumbler reciprocable in said tank, a rod connected to the upper end of said tumbler and extending through the upper end of the tank, a cross head adjustably secured to said rod above the tank, a power shaft journaled above the tank, a disk secured to said power shaft, operative connections between said disk and rod, said connections including a key adjustably connected radially to said disk, there being a slot in said cross head for freely supplying receiving said key, guide brackets supported r lower end thereof, steam supply means for said chamber, a perforated tumbler reciprocably mounted in said tank, a power shaft rotatably supported on said tank, a disk secured to said power shaft, there being a radial slot in said disk, a key adjustably mounted in said slot, a perpendicular rod carried by said tumbler and extending through the upper end of the tank, a cross head connected to said rod above the tank, said cross head having a slot in the face thereof adjacent the disk for the sliding reception of said pin whereby said rod, cross head and tumbler are reciprocated upon rotation of said disk.

7. Clothes cleaning apparatus comprising a tank having a steam chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, steam supply means for said chamber, a perforated tumbler reciprocably mounted in said tank, a power shaft rotatably supported on said tank, a disk secured to' said power shaft, there being a radial slot in said disk, a key adjustably mounted in said slot, a perpendicular rod carried by said tumbler and extending through the upper end of the tank, a cross head connected to said rod above the tank, said cross head having a slot in the face thereof adjacent the disk for the sliding reception of said pin whereby said rod, cross head and tumbler are reciprocated upon rotation of said disk, and independent closures for the upper ends of the tank and tumbler.

8. Clothes cleaning apparatus comprising a tank having a steam chamber adjacent the lower end thereof, said chamber, a perforated tumbler reciprocably mounted in said tank, and adjustable power devices associated with said tumbler for varying the length of reciprocating movements thereof.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

THOMAS H. RICHARDSON.

steam supply means for 

